"American game speed" AKA playing with 34 year old chuckers like Troy Devries. That sounds about right. It almost sounds like he's the best player from DeVry University.
I don't envy Zubac right now. The d-league has nothing to offer him at this point. He of all people should be getting a few minutes on the worst defensive team in the NBA.
All due respect to vander blue and the homies, but the d-league is a joke
The only thing zubac will pick up there is playing time. it might help for like 5 games, but after that there's nothing for him there. _________________ Kobe
"American game speed" AKA playing with 34 year old chuckers like Troy Devries. That sounds about right. It almost sounds like he's the best player from DeVry University.
I don't envy Zubac right now. The d-league has nothing to offer him at this point. He of all people should be getting a few minutes on the worst defensive team in the NBA.
Of course, the team would be even worse with him on the floor at this point. Outside of the unicorns, teenage centers just get killed in the NBA. Best to get him some experience in the NBDL where it's okay if he fouls out every game.
"American game speed" AKA playing with 34 year old chuckers like Troy Devries. That sounds about right. It almost sounds like he's the best player from DeVry University.
I don't envy Zubac right now. The d-league has nothing to offer him at this point. He of all people should be getting a few minutes on the worst defensive team in the NBA.
Of course, the team would be even worse with him on the floor at this point. Outside of the unicorns, teenage centers just get killed in the NBA. Best to get him some experience in the NBDL where it's okay if he fouls out every game.
That's pretty much conjecture. Randle is giving next to no effort. Nance is undersized. Black is good in spurts, but gives up too many rebounds. I don't see how another big body makes them much worse. Mozgov is the only one playing some semblance of defense. In terms of breaking a rookie in, Donovan has the right approach with Sabonis: play him for spurts, and take him out when he's getting killed (see Randle vs Sabonis match-up 3rd game of the season):
Quote:
It hasn’t all been a smooth transition, though. Despite spending almost all of his time on the floor with Westbrook, he still has a net rating in the negative. Oklahoma City’s offensive rating is 0.6 points higher when he is off the floor, and the team’s defensive rating is 1.8 points lower when he is off it.
All due respect to vander blue and the homies, but the d-league is a joke
The only thing zubac will pick up there is playing time. it might help for like 5 games, but after that there's nothing for him there.
It does, somewhat, keep him in game shape and ready. The kid loves basketball and the Lakers, I'm sure he'll glean something positive from of the experience.
Ivica Zubac posts 21 points & 12 rebounds vs. the Suns:
His three point shot is legit. Coby Karl paired him with a player who passed him the ball (Julian Jacobs).
Man Zubac is so tall though! He's a head taller than anyone else on that court
and those nice screens.... why won't luke play him
*shrugs*
I feel like Luke is trying to have it both ways this season. It's evident he's too competitive of a coach to play his youngsters even when the game is out of hand, but development can't take a back seat to winning every single game. When Russell and Randle are out, Metta and Calderon do not need to get extended minutes. Ingram does not need to be a ghost on offense.
I know someone is probably going to say they'd get blown out by 50 instead of 43 if Zubac played. When will it end!???
I am a fan of Tarik Black and it seems like is an all around amazing guy but he is just too small to be center in the nba. He can do it against probably 50% of the other teams, but in the other 50% he is just exposed. It's remarkable how much bigger than himself he plays that he can even do what he does, but Black's minutes should start going to Zubac imo. Black had a nice run, and I love how much he improved his free throw shooting, but it's time to end that era. It's time for Zubac _________________ Kobe
The goal with the 2nd unit is to run run run. zubac is more Mozgov. I think he replaces moz one day. _________________ From 2-10 to the Western Conference Finals
I am a fan of Tarik Black and it seems like is an all around amazing guy but he is just too small to be center in the nba. He can do it against probably 50% of the other teams, but in the other 50% he is just exposed. It's remarkable how much bigger than himself he plays that he can even do what he does, but Black's minutes should start going to Zubac imo. Black had a nice run, and I love how much he improved his free throw shooting, but it's time to end that era. It's time for Zubac
Black been playing well against 2nd units. Zubac not gonna do better than Black in the run n gun push push push offense our bench unit has played. He's 3rd in the chart appropriately, his time will come
Joined: 17 Sep 2008 Posts: 21075 Location: In a white room, with black curtains near the station
Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2016 7:29 am Post subject:
One place I could see Zubac helping the Lakers most is when Mozgov gets in foul trouble and we need a replacement Moz to play with the starting unit. Problem is he's going to be facing starting centers a lot in this role. Seasoned veterans who know how to feast on rookies. And Zubac has VERY little experience. I think it's a good move having Zubac play a bunch of D League games this part of the season. Hopefully gets more and more dominant there and that much more ready when he gets called up for good.
Zubac's time is coming.
Zubac is being groomed to replace Mozgov in a few seasons. Moz is playing well so TM will be around for at least 2-3 more years.
However I do believe that Zu should get 5 minutes or so per game at this point plus still play a few games in the D-League.
He is a more traditional center and is not quite ready for the run & gun NBA style just yet, however, as I said, his time is coming.
"American game speed" AKA playing with 34 year old chuckers like Troy Devries. That sounds about right. It almost sounds like he's the best player from DeVry University.
I don't envy Zubac right now. The d-league has nothing to offer him at this point. He of all people should be getting a few minutes on the worst defensive team in the NBA.
Welp if DLeague is so terrible like you're saying than Zubac should be dominating it right? Especially if you're vouching for NBA playing time.
He isn't, he's still getting the hang of even THAT speed, and fouled out his last game.
So when Zubac starts dominating in Dleague he'll be ready to get minutes in the NBA.
Don't forget, Anthony Brown DOMINATES the DLeague, Tarik Black DOMINATES the DLeague, and Brown could barely make it work at NBA level if at all, and Tarik is a capable backup center.
So until Zubac gets to that point even in the least amount, he shouldn't be getting any "NBA" playing time then. Cause if he can't have the timing for or ability to dominate "DLeague" yet, he isn't ready for "The League" as of yet. Period, point blank then.
On the bright side, he had 21/12 in his last DLeague game. So he's obviously getting the hang of it, and will gain confidence from that.
So good sign, but now it's time to play the patient game.
He got more confidence in and the actual ability/time/touches/opportunity to do things in that game that he wouldn't have gotten while getting blown out vs the Warriors.
Ivica Zubac posts 21 points & 12 rebounds vs. the Suns:
His three point shot is legit. Coby Karl paired him with a player who passed him the ball (Julian Jacobs).
Man Zubac is so tall though! He's a head taller than anyone else on that court
and those nice screens.... why won't luke play him
Because he's not ready. He was a foot taller than anyone else on the court in that game and only put up 20/12, and no I'm not being facetious about the 'only'.
Luke could probably put up those numbers himself in an NBDL game.
Ivica Zubac posts 21 points & 12 rebounds vs. the Suns:
His three point shot is legit. Coby Karl paired him with a player who passed him the ball (Julian Jacobs).
Man Zubac is so tall though! He's a head taller than anyone else on that court
and those nice screens.... why won't luke play him
Because he's not ready. He was a foot taller than anyone else on the court in that game and only put up 20/12, and no I'm not being facetious about the 'only'.
Luke could probably put up those numbers himself in an NBDL game.
As wide open as the D-league game is he would definitely come pretty close on most nights.
Ivica Zubac posts 21 points & 12 rebounds vs. the Suns:
His three point shot is legit. Coby Karl paired him with a player who passed him the ball (Julian Jacobs).
Man Zubac is so tall though! He's a head taller than anyone else on that court
and those nice screens.... why won't luke play him
Man, I haven't seen any of our opponents play pick n roll defense as poorly as the Suns did there. It's the d-league for a reason.
He has a feathery touch around the basket and a nice looking J, but he still looks a bit "doughy" to me. He's not physically ready to play against most NBA centers his size. The few minutes that Luke gave him, he was getting pushed around too easily and couldn't defend without fouling.
The biggest worry I have with Zubac, honestly is his rebounding. At the next level I mean.
He was bigger/taller than most of the guys they put on him at that position but he lacks explosiveness.
Hopefully that's something that will happen as his body matures a bit more. The Marc Gasol comparisons are very on point whom has averaged 7.7 rebounds throughout his career. But he was next to Zach Randolph who was a 10-12 rebound center in his prime. So that also helped matters.
I am thinking the Lakers hope for a similar cohesiveness on the rebound front with Randle there as Zubac comes along.
Zubac looked good in the highlights from the D-Fenders win yesterday and he scored a three pointer I haven't seen Black or Mozgov score one this season but I know Zubac only done it in the D-League. I wonder how long it will be until Zubac is in the rotation? _________________ Coach MWP.
The goal with the 2nd unit is to run run run. zubac is more Mozgov. I think he replaces moz one day.
Agreed.
I just think we can give him a few minutes here and there when Mozgov is in early foul trouble like yesterday.
We have a future HOF in the D-League while Lakers is getting crushed by GS in a back to back situation without two of our five best players and the starting C out with 3 fouls after about 5 minutes.
I don't think Zubac is ready for a major role, but he is not alone and a few minutes of NBA action may help him and us long term.
Anyway it's better playing games than just sitting on street cloths.
Joined: 14 Apr 2001 Posts: 144461 Location: The Gold Coast
Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2016 11:24 am Post subject:
Dilla_ wrote:
Zubac looked good in the highlights from the D-Fenders win yesterday and he scored a three pointer I haven't seen Black or Mozgov score one this season but I know Zubac only done it in the D-League. I wonder how long it will be until Zubac is in the rotation?
I hope he is in the rotation next season and hopefully ready to start in another 2-3 seasons. _________________ RIP mom. 11-21-1933 to 6-14-2023.
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As wide open as the D-league game is he would definitely come pretty close on most nights. 
